The Ultraviolet Connection to Skin Cancer
Among the cancer-inducing stimuli of our environment is the very source upon which life itself depends, the light of the sun. The ultraviolet radiation connection began with the clinical observation of Paul Unna of Germany, who in 1894 related exposure to sunlight with chronic skin changes and skin cancer. Studies by later investigators such as H. F. Blum of the National Cancer Institute, show that this effect was not due to heat and that it could be localized to a relatively narrow band of the ultraviolet wave spectrum.
Data gathered by the National Cancer Institute shows that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States accounting for three hundred thousand new cases each year. The incidence of skin cancer is highest in the white population of the southern and western parts of the U.S., and lowest in the North, relative to the amount of sunshine in the area. This relationship is also evident in Australia. The colour of the skin is another factor. Cancer of the skin is most common among fair-complexioned people, and much less frequent among blacks than among the so-called white races.
There are on the market sun care products designed for effective screening of ultraviolet radiation. Until a decade ago, the most protective skin preparations were opaque white ointments which contained zinc oxide. When smeared on thickly enough, these ointments can effectively block out ultraviolet radiation, but they are unsightly and impractical to apply over large areas of the body.
Recent years have seen the development of some interesting new chemicals. These act not by imposing an opaque barrier between sunlight and the skin, but by selectively absorbing radiation from the "burning" wavelength of the ultraviolet spectrum. These are provided as creams and lotions that seem to disappear into the skin.
However, no electronic-type device like that of the invention is available on the market.
Moreover, the use of creams and lotions may add to the use of the novel device. The use of the abovementioned chemicals will increase the permissible time for solar exposure determined by the invention device.